The two-week extravaganza features hundreds of events, most of them free.

But many require people to book, so that organisers know whether the venues might be oversubscribed.

The festival is run by Cambridge University, which is overseeing the majority of ticket bookings. In all, it is handling 24,707 tickets - and by this morning (Monday March 5), 16,791 of them had been snapped up.

Dozens of talks by top scientists are planned

That means more than two thirds of tickets, 68 per cent, are allocated, but there are additional events where organisers are taking their own bookings.

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Some pre-festival events take place this week, with the first full day of the festival scheduled for Monday March 12.

In all, 327 events are taking place.

Tours of the operating theatres at Addenbrooke's will be held

Dr Lucinda Spokes, the university's public engagement and festival manager, said a host of top scientists were lined up to give talks and take part in panel discussions.

She said: "This morning we’d booked 68 per cent of tickets available, better than last year by almost 1,000 tickets, and there are 327 events overall, open to everyone - and almost all events are free.

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"We're excited to welcome two Nobel Prize winners and other high profile speakers to the festival - Dr Richard Henderson from MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, who was a joint winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry who will share the story of how scientists are uncovering the structures of tiny molecular machines within living things in incredible detail; and geneticist and director of the Francis Crick Institute Professor Sir Paul Nurse, who will present the inaugural Cambridge Gravity Lecture.

In all, 327 events will take place over the fortnight

"This annual event honours inspirational individuals who have contributed to the transformation of society through the pursuit or promotion of science."

She added: "There are many great hands-on events for families, including our ever-popular 'Hands-on at the Guildhall' event on Saturday and Sunday March 17 and 18, where we have interactive activities for all ages.

"For the first hour on Sunday 18 March, from 11am to noon, the space is open just for adults and children who have an autism spectrum condition, and their families."

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